Infant&#39;s bed covering



Feb. 15, 1949. F. MALLETTE 2,461,749

INFANTS BED COVERING Filed Sept. 1l, 1946 u /f Y Fia,

Patented Feb. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT Y OFF I CE k,2,461,749 v 'INFANTS BED cvluNG i redrika'll'iallette, Piedmont/Calif. Application September 11, 194.6, Serial No. 696,278 2 Claims. (Cl. 5--334) This invention relates to bed coverings and particularly pertains to a bed cover for infants.

Prior to my invention, statistics disclose that in the United States approximately fifteen thousand (15,000) infants meet death each year due to suffocation beneath bed coverings. I have discovered that this is due in a large measure to the fact that the kicking and squirming of an infant under theV confinement of conventional type bed covers results in the disarrangement of the bed covers and sometimes in the draping thereof over the infants head in a manner likely to cause suifocation.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a generally improved infants bed cover which is so formed and constructed that an infant may freely kick and squirm thereunder Without causing such displacement of the cover that it is likely to become draped over the infants head in a manner which may cause suifocation.

One form which the invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illus-l trated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an infants bed covering embodying the preferred form of my invention, with parts broken away to more clearly disclose certain features of construction.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in cross-section through the bed covering showing the arrangement of the layers thereof.

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of my improved infants bed covering, showing the manner in which the canopy thereof will overlie and loosely embrace the infant.

Fig. 4 is an end view showing the manner in which the canopy overlies and embraces an infant.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, II) indicates an'infants bed cover, preferably formed of two layers II and I2 of fabric. The layer II may be of any of the usual 'materials used to make blankets and the layer I2 may `be of such material as oil-silk or similar f material having high insulating qualities. layer II will, of course, be extremely limp, while the layer I2 will have to some degree inherent stiffness. The marginal edges of the cover I0 are preferably bound with a fabric binder strip I4, as illustrated.

The bed cover I Il is preferably formed of a rectangular main section I6, one end of which is gathered into a plurality of folds I 5, as illustrated.V At the sides of the main section I6 and at the gathered end thereof I provide triangular -Wing sections I1, the contiguous-edges of the Wing sections and main section being properly secured together. By the addition of the wing sections I'I, the bed cover I0, even after it has been gathered as described, will be substantially rectangular in shape with the gathered section commencing shortof the side edges of the cover.

I prefer that the end portion of the bed cover which is gathered be resiliently gathered into thev plurality of folds by the provision of an elastic strip I8. By so gathering one end of the bed cover, I effectively form a yielding arched canopy,

vthe sides of which are short of the side edges of the covering and which extends longitudinally toward but short of the opposite end edge of the covering. The dimensions of the canopy are such that it Will overlie and loosely embrace an infant, as illustrated.

Due to providing Ithe bed covering with the canopy, as described, when the bed covering is disposed over an infant so that the canopy overlies and loosely embraces the infant, the infant may kick andk squirm without disengaging the side edges of the blanket or disarranging them because the canopy allows almost complete freedom of movement of the infant thereunder. Thus, the kicking and squirming of the infant does not have the effect of disarranging the blanket so that it may drape over the infants head and cause suffocation.

v Should the infant, by kicking and squirming, move longitudinally under the canopy to an extent that the canopy overlies the infants head, the folds in the gathered edge of the blanket will provide sufficient air passages to supply the infant with air from the exterior of the covering.

It is seen that due to the construction of the blanket and providing the relatively stiff insulating layer, the canopy will tend to remain in arched condition although conforming somewhat to the infants body. However, the fullness of the canopy will allow complete freedom of movement of the infant beneath the canopy so that its kicking and squirming will not tend to dis-v Having thus described my invention, what vI y claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. As an article of manufacture, an infants bed covering comprising a main fabric section of rectangular form having one end edge gathered into a plurality of folds to form a yielding canopy extending longitudinally toward but short of the opposite end edge to overlie and loosely embrace an infant, and triangular Wing sections joined to the opposite side edges of the main section at the gathered end of the main section to make the sides of the bed cover substantially parallel.

2. As an article of manufacture, an infants bed covering comprising a main fabric section of rectangular form having one end edge resiliently gathered into a plurality of folds to form a yielding canopy extending longitudinally toward but 15 1,646,792

loosely embrace anvinfant, and triangular wing sections joined to the opposite side edges of the main section at the gathered end 0f the main section to make the sides of the bed cover substantially parallel.

FREDRIKA MAILE'I'IE.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date w 768,119 Fine i Aug. 23,1904 Moore Oct. 25, 1927 

